Ensuring every child is on an optimal trajectory to a healthy and productive adulthood is imperative for the nation's future. Investments in children and families improves child health, but also health equity, education outcomes, workforce productivity, and cost-effectiveness in public spending. Despite advances in health care, children, especially those from historically marginalized groups, face rising rates of chronic diseases, obesity, and mental health challenges.

Launching Lifelong Health by Improving Health Care for Children, Youth, And Families presents a vision for transforming the child and adolescent health care system. This report also examines how the health care system can be better positioned to equitably address the needs of all children and families and leverage community supports. This requires transforming key components, such as health care financing, public health investment, community partnerships, and accountability strategies, to encourage team-based care delivery models and attention to and health promotion, prevention, and root causes of health disparities.

Table of Contents

Front Matter Summary 1 Child Health and Health Care: Uniqueness, Societal Importance, and Vision for the Future 2 Science and Frameworks to Guide Health Care Transformation 3 The Role of Children, Youth, Families, and Communities in Achieving Health Care System Transformation 4 Children in the United States: Demographics, Health, and Wellbeing 5 Health Care for Children and Youth 6 Insurance and Other Financing for Clinical Services 7 Investing in Child Health through Population- and Community-Level Primary Prevention 8 Opportunities for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Schools 9 Measurement and Accountability 10 Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Children, Youth, Families, Communities, and the Nation References Appendix A: Biosketches of Committee Members and Staff Appendix B: Previous National Academies Reports on Child and Adolescent Health and Health Care Reform Appendix C: Public Meeting Agendas Appendix D: Summary of Performance Measurement Topics Used across Seven Child Health Programs Involving Federal Funding